This project brought me to a hidden gem of Melbourne that boasts beautifully crafted Arts and Crafts era Californian Bungalows in abundance.

My clients, a family of two professionals and their three teenage children, shared a single bathroom and had outgrown the original home. The previous owners had added some decorative features from the 60s. The design intention was to deliver comfortable, usable spaces while honouring the period of the original home.

The renovation included a contemporary extension to the South, providing open living areas below with bedrooms and a bathroom above. On either side of the generous front Entry are two large front rooms. One, the Master Bedroom had an Ensuite and WIR added, and the other was transformed into a Library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a central desk.

Period features were retained and informed the design of the Kitchen and Dining area. Ceiling strapping from the original parts of the home was translated to mouldings on the walls of the Stairwell and Dining room. Brass door hardware features throughout, which continued to mesh inlays in the Dining room cabinetry. A delightful scalloped timber awning over the Ensuite window was restored and retained.

The palette of deep sea greens and a spectrum of terracottas was complemented by Spotted Gum engineered flooring. Many of the additions made in the 60s were retained and enhanced, such as glazed sliding doors that allow light to be shared by adjoining rooms. In the large Living room, the stone-clad fireplace looked poky and small and very much a flight of fancy. The proportions were improved with a timber mantel and linear mouldings to the ceiling.

The family enjoy the balance of having a choice of common rooms to suit their moods. The renovation offers rooms for retreat and rooms for sharing stories and revelry and all of family life that sits between.